Dan Fisk was a native of Willows, CA and graduated from USF with a Degree in Economics, along with his brother Cliff. Both men were athletes, Dan played football for the Dons for four years, and boxed his last two years. Cliff played football, baseball and golf.
An iconic photograph exists, taken at Kezar Stadium by Barney Peterson of the San Francisco Chronicle. The photograph depicts a moment of celebration in a game on October 23, 1938, between USF and rival Saint Mary’s. Three players, Dan Fisk, William Telesmanic, and Dan Benedetti are shown celebrating a 45-yard successful touchdown pass by Fisk to Telesmanic. It was the first touchdown the Dons were able to manage against the Gaels in six years. The Gaels went on to win the game 13-6, and the caption given to the Chronicle photo was “The Joy That Died.” The pre-war photo is especially poignant because of what followed later: all three men died within weeks of each other in World War II.
Fisk died in a flight training accident en route to Moffett Field, CA in 1942. The photo was shown as part of the World War II exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame, in South Bend, IN, and is part of the USF War Memorial exhibit.
